Lauren's art caught my eye recently while doing research for an upcoming player interview (stay tuned).

I knew her story was worth featuring when I learned more about her passion for drawing and what she has achieved with it so far. I mean seriously, it's not every day you hear that someone had to re-take a Physics test in high school because there were drawings all over it.

Lauren has been drawing ever since she was able to hold a crayon. And she is good at it. Really good at it. One day, her artistic talent and her love for Hockey collided and the end-product was Hockey Pinup Girls.

"The concept for the Hockey Pinup Girls came to me one day two seasons ago during a Blackhawks game where Corey Crawford was doing a stellar job keeping a game alive. I had my pad of paper and pencil with me because I'm constantly drawing something. My hand had a mind of its own, and I just started drawing a girl in a Crawford jersey," said Maiero of how the concept came about.

"I did a few more after that and put them on Twitter, just curious to see the reaction, and BOOM! Now, I'm about 40 players in and still kicking out more!"

Just how 'BOOM' was the reaction? Well, due to popular demand, Maiero has now sold some of her work and says "I find they make great gifts for hockey fans of all ages!"

By the looks of it, even Chicago Blackhawks Forward Brandon Bollig digs it.

While the popularity of her drawings is soaring, and a career is a safe possibility, Lauren says "I'm game for where ever this takes me, though it won't stop me from finishing my college education."

If her Pinups continue to skyrocket, Maiero doesn't exclude the possibility of expanding into other athletics, like Baseball which is a sport she also loves (Lawrie Pinup anyone?)

A website dedicated to Lauren's Pinup art (which can take up to 8 hours to complete) is currently under construction and should be live later this summer. In the meantime you can peruse more samples (including Burish, Toews, Weber, Leddy, Parise, Fleury, Giroux, Chara, and more) on Twitter right here.

Happy viewing!

And keep it an eye on this space for more special features and a heavy dose of player interviews coming soon!